INVESTING IN THE REGION By Debra Solomon Baker KIRK BRIDEN president & CEO, Champion Bank We have all heard of the breakfast of champions, of course, but what about the bank of champions? When Kirk Briden envisions his ideal bank, he pictures customers who feel like winners. It is this vision, perhaps above all else, that drives Briden’s new venture, Champion Bank. “Our goal at Champion is to deliver services in a way that causes people to say ‘wow’ afterwards,” says Briden, the bank’s president and CEO. Briden, who has been in banking for 15 years, came to Champion from Montgomery Bank, where he was executive vice president in charge of commercial banking in St. Louis. Also from Montgomery was Briden’s long-time friend, Lane Alpert, who shared Briden’s dream of starting a business. Together, they gathered 400 investors for Champion, including former Cardinal’s pitcher, Andy Benes. According to Briden, the $16.8 million in start-up capital was the second largest amount for a new bank in the state’s history. Since opening its doors in August, Champion has drawn in close to 1,000 customers and $50 million in assets. Champion is, in fact, the seventh start-up bank in the St. Louis area in the past 18 months. “We can do deals that do not require just a fit-the-box, everything slam-dunk kind of thing,” says Briden. “People here have the authority to make decisions and are able to deliver in a way that people simply are not used to.” The bank, which employs 25, recently launched a no minimum balance, high interest checking account, which Briden expects will entice many customers. Champion’s permanent location will be a 23,000-square-foot complex at Craig Road and Olive Boulevard. Briden’s plan is to build at least two branches per year and, over the next several years, to become one of the dominant banks in the area. “It is really exciting to create something special from scratch,” he says. But that which is so exciting, also is quite challenging. Briden says, without complaint, that the work can, at times, seem endless. As the father of four sons, Briden seeks the tender balance between work, family, and community involvement. He is an active member of Central Presbyterian Church and serves on the Alumni Association Board of Washington University’s Olin School of Business, where he earned his Master’s in Business Administration. LEADERSHIP CIRCLE INSIGHTS What has been your company’s most significant accomplishment during 2006? “McGowan Brothers Development’s most significant accomplishment in 2006 has been to successfully predict and react to demand in the downtown St. Louis housing market. Facing national uncertainty, increased supply, rising interest rates and stronger competition, McGowan Brothers Development’s loft leasing and condominium sales are significantly higher today than over the same period in 2005.” TIM MCGOWAN principal, McGowan Brothers Development “Our Ernst & Young St. Louis office’s significant accomplishments were threefold: we continued to recruit and retain the best people; we continued to deliver the highest quality service to our clients; and we continued to invest our time and talents to make a positive difference in the community.” GEORGE KLENOVICH managing partner-St. Louis, Ernst & Young “Our team at Standing Partnership celebrated our 15th anniversary in 2006. We are most proud that we achieved outstanding results for our clients while giving substantial time, dollars and expertise to 15 community partners and still beat our stretch revenue goal for the year!” Cathy Dunkin, APR president and CEO, Standing Partnership For more information on the Leadership Circle, please contact John Diefenbach, vice president-membership, (314) 444-1184 or jdief@stlrcga.org.

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